Leather fabric.



- w. M. CAVANAUGH.

' LEATHER FABRIC. APPLICATION FILED MAY 6.1912.

Patented Oct. 23,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 BY EZ WATTORNEYS W. M. CAVANAUGH.

I LEATHER FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. 1912.

1,243,709, Patented Oct. 23,1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR Q.@M MhcM ATTORNEYS W. M. CAVANAUGH.

LEATHER FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, m2.

1,243,709. Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

,3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Fy fl'y/ 7 5:779

If Tl II Ml M II [I HL "II WR'NESS ES: v INVENTOR W TAZZLMW v 7 Mi ATTORNEN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. CAVANAUGH, OF ROSEBANK, 'NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 LEATHER PRODUCTS COMPANY, INC., OF'NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK LEATHER FABRIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

Application filed May 6, 1912. Serial No. 695,461.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM M. CAVA- NAUGH, a'citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rosebank, county of Richmond, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leather Fabric, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved leather fabric. One object of my invention is to provide an improved fabric in which poor leather or separate pieces of leather may be utilized by reinforcement with wire or by combining such separate pieces together and reinforcing the same with wire to form a fabric suitable for use as belting.-

may be used for punching the leather pieces used in the fabric shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. at is a similar view showing the operation of the punch. Fig. 5 is a' detailed section of one of the pieces of leather cut by the punch. Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the pieces of leather with grooves therein.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified form of thevfabric, some parts being omitted and in section, to more clearly illustrate the same.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 88' of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a detailed section illustrating the method of forming the fabric shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a similar section showing the completion of one of the elements of the fabric. Fig. 11 is a plan view of a further modified form of the fabric. Fig. 12 is a section taken on the line 12'12 of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a section illustrating the method of forming the elements which go to make up the fabric shown in Fig." 11. Fig. 14 is a sideview of one of the complete elements.

is composed of a plurality of square pieces of leather 20, having longitudinal grooves 21 and transverse grooves 22 therein. The pieces of leather 20 are preferably made by means of a punch, such as shown at 24 in Fig. 3, which punch may be operated upon apiece of leather 25 in a Well-known manner, as shown in Fig. 4, in order to out thereform a piece of leather 20. It will be noticed that the punch is of such shape, and the leather being moistened or Wetted, that the piece of leather 20 is distorted by the punching operation, so that it is of greater thickness and truncated in form, as shown in Fig. The suitablegrooves 21 and 22 are then formed in each piece of leather, and pieces of leather applied to wire netting. composed of the longitudinal strand wires 26 and the transverse strand wires 27, and the wires embedded in grooves, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The fabric then will have the a )pearance in section as shown in the left-hand half of FlQ'. 2. The fabric is then pressed by a suitahle press so, that the leather is forced down and about the wire. as shown in the right-hand half of Figs. 1

and 2, so that the wire netting becomes thor oughly embedded and gripped within the grooves of the leather pieces. The wire netting used is preferably made of small steel wire, but any suitable material may be used. The fabric shown on the lower half of Fig. 1 is exactly the same as that of the upper half, with the exception that the pieces of leather are round instead of square. A fabric of this sort may be made of small pieces of leather which would otherwise go to waste, or of leather so poor in quality that it is unfit for most uses. The fabric made up in this manner may be used for belting for pulleys, etc., using the underneath side next to the actsto hold together and in place the various pieces of leather, but to reinforce the whole structure, so that a flexible leather fabric is formed which is securely bound with wire embedded therein.

Referring to the modification shown in pulley. The wiringynot only I Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive, the wiring is there shown of a diflerent form and asmade up of circular retaining members 39' connected together by wire links 31. Into the circular members 30 are inserted the pieces of leather 32,'as shown, in Fig. 9, which pieces of leatherare like the pieces 20, .above described, and anade in the same manner.

After the pieces of leather 32 are inserted, as shown in- Fig. 9, the fabric is then pressed, .by a suitable press, so that the top portion of the pieces of leather is forced down and outwardly to firmly grip the circular retaining members, as clearly shown in Figs. ,8 and 10. This forms a flexible fabric composed of small pieces of leather which are suitably held together and in place, which is cheaply made, and in which pieces of leather may be used which would otherwise,

have to be thrown away. o

By the'modification shown in Figs. 11 to 14- inclusive, similar pieces of leather SS-are placed. in metallic cups3'4, through-the bottom of which extend longitudinally connecting wires 35, and-transverse connecting wires 36 of a wire netting which holds the cup shaped members 34 in position with respectto one another. The wires 35 and 36 pass through small holes near the bottom of the 30' Y the leather pieces are placed in the cup metallic retaining members 34,'and after shaped members, the flanges thereof may be pressed inwardly, as shown in Figs. .12 and 14, in order to firmly grip the pieces 33.

Referring to the modificationishown in- Figs. 15 and 16, I there utilize a large piece .of leather, but which because of poor qualtend in difi'erent directions, in .order that a lateral, as well as a longitudinal reinforcement, may be had. Figs. 17and 18 illusi trate another similar modification, in whibh To make useof such a piece' the piece of leather 42 is provided with longitudinal groves 43 and transverse grooves 44, into which are embedded longitudinal strand wires 45 and transverse strand wires 46 of the wire netting. As before, after the wire netting has been embedded in the face of the leather, the leather is pressed, in order that the material of the leather may be made to firmly grip the wire netting and lock it thereon. Figs. 19 and 20 illigstrate the further modification in which reinforcing wire 47 consists of short pieces bentv into U-shape and embedded in the leather 48 as before.

Althoughl have'described my improvements in great detail, nevertheless I do not desire to be limited to. these details except as clearly specified in the appended claims, since many changes and modifications may well be made without departing from the spirit.and scope of my invention in its broader aspects. Having fully and clearly described my improvements, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat,-

' 1. A fabric composed of wire netting with longitudinal and transverse strand wires and pieces of leather provided with grooves corresponding to said wires and into whlch grooves said wires are embedded.

2. The combination of metallic retaining members into, which are pressed pieces of leather and wire connecting said members to form a flexible fabric.

3. The combination of circular metallic retaining members into which are pressed pieces of leather and links connecting said members to form a flexible fabric.

4. A flexible fabric composed of leather reinforced with wire embedded in grooves therein, said reinforcing-wire extending in different directions in the leather.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, 'in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM, M. CAVANAUGH.

;Witnesses: L

GORHAM CRosBY, EDWIN SEGER. 

